The Top 10 Bordeaux Wines of 2015

How good was 2015? Is it the best Bordeaux vintage ever? Alexandre Thienpont of Vieux Chateau Certain certainly thinks so while Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier in the Graves appellation compares it to 2005.

You can’t fail to be allured by this charming, velvety vintage. In every appellation, the wine quality is excellent across the board. There are so many to recommend but here is my top 10 selection for your cellar.

Is it the best Bordeaux vintage ever? Alexandre Thienpont of Vieux Chateau Certain certainly thinks so while Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier in the Graves appellation compares it to 2005 with an extra richness and ripeness.

You can’t fail to be allured by this charming, velvety vintage. In every appellation, the wine quality is excellent across the board. There are so many to recommend but here is my top 10 selection for your cellar.

Is it the best Bordeaux vintage ever? Alexandre Thienpont of Vieux Chateau Certain certainly thinks so while Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier in the Graves appellation compares it to 2005 with an extra richness and ripeness.

You can’t fail to be allured by this charming, velvety vintage. In every appellation, the wine quality is excellent across the board. There are so many to recommend but here is my top 10 selection for your cellar.

Chateau Canon 2015, St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé

Is this the wine of the vintage? You’ll struggle to find a superior wine to this nuanced and complex St Emilion. Expect lots of lush ripe cherry fruit, spice and an attractive hint of capsicum. Despite the ripeness, there is a surprising level of fresh acidity, which gives the palate tension. Abundant, ripe tannins. Exceptionally long finish.

Chateau Gloria 2015, St-Julien

This chateau might not have been classified in 1855 but what a wine! It is hugely aromatic, offering a complex melange of black cherries, balsamic, dried herbs and delicate floral accents. The oak is beautifully integrated, supporting the ripe fruit with firm tannins and a fresh conclusion.

96 pts6/75cl Chateau Gloria 2015, St-Julien @ £170 IB

Chateau Leoville-Barton 2015, St-Julien, 2eme Grand Cru Classé

I like Leoville-Barton: it is an extremely consistent performer that shuns fashion. It has great depth of black fruit flavours, subtle oak and attractive green bell pepper.

You could pop the cork and drink this now, as it is well-polished (perhaps too polished, I like rough edges in young Bordeaux), with a broad spectrum of pure flavours. I cannot wait to see how this evolves.

Chateau Lynch-Bages 2015, Pauillac, 5eme Grand Cru Classé

One has to admire the consistency of this house and dedication to the style, which is unapologetically muscular. Lots of ripeness here: blackcurrant and dark cherry fruit with abundant tannins, excellent depth and freshness.

Chateau Gazin 2015, Pomerol

Captivating! Every time you put your nose in the glass, there is a new aroma to be found: dark plums, raspberry fruit, subtle oak, spice, and blackcurrant leaf. It is an exciting wine, richly textured with freshness, purity, exceptional depth and concentration.

96+ pts6/75cl Chateau Gazin 2015, Pomerol @ £325 IB

Chateau La Conseillante 2015, Pomerol

Aromatically expansive with detailed aromas of blackcurrant fruit red plums and soy sauce. The oak is incredibly detailed, very subtle and superbly integrated. A plush wine with fantastic purity and depth of flavour. The length and proportion are superb.

97+ pts6/75cl Chateau La Conseillante 2015, Pomerol @ £750 IB

Chateau Pape-Clement Blanc 2015

This white astonishes by its richness and purity. It is an exciting mix of fresh citrus, orchard fruit, and floral accents complemented by oak. The palate is rich and broad, however, there is exceptional freshness that keeps this all woven neatly together. For me, this is easily best white of the vintage but it will need three to six years to reach its peak.

96 pts6/75cl Chateau Pape-Clement Blanc 2015 @ £550 IB

Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere 2015, Pessac-Leognan

There is fantastic flinty minerality that makes this wine dance along the palate. It brings generous citrus fruit and ripe pineapple as well as freshly cut grass. It is a wine with depth, complexity and fantastic freshness.